Feed is the most critical aspect of animal feed. It determines the profitability of the entire agricultural venture. Failure to provide animals with sufficient supply of a well-balanced feed can potentially have detrimental effects on the health of the herd. This has a direct impact on profitability; losses are often recorded in such cases. Cotton cake for animal feed is a common practise that has been in use for over 200 years. Cotton cake is a necessary option for farmers facing challenges in providing and maintaining adequate feed for animals. It is often used as a protein supplement since forages, grains and even hay can fall short of the required rations. Cotton cake has been recorded to improve the health of animals as well as reproduction. An important point to note is that cotton cake for animal feed must be given within the recommended amount; an overdose places animals at risk of diseases.
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Nutritional Value of Cotton Cake
The most known quality of cotton cake is that it is an excellent protein supplement for your livestock. Cotton cake stands out among other feeds as the only component that comprises both high energy and fibre. The upside of utilizing cotton cake for animal feed is that it is relatively cheap therefore farmers are able to maintain well-balanced dietary plans even when large herds are involved. Cotton cake is a rich source of proteins and vitamins necessary for maintenance of livestock health, improving milk production, increasing body weight and for the growth and health of unborn calves. In addition, it contains fat which helps to improve carcass weight. Cotton cake is highly digestible; it contains a significant amount of calcium and minerals, and so is recommended in feeds for lactating animals which need both energy and fibre. Cotton cake for animal feeds should be provided with caution as it contains gossypol that can potentially be harmful to livestock. Younger animals are said to be highly susceptible. It is therefore advisable to offer cotton cake to mature species that are more tolerant to the compound. Animals that are deprived of sufficient proteins experience the following symptoms:
- Low milk production
- Lower protein content in the milk
- Loss of appetite and eventually minimal body weight
- Increased risk of infectious and metabolic diseases
- Skeletal and bone problems
Cotton Cake for Milk Production
Lactating animals have a higher nutritional demand in comparison to animals at other stages of production. Since feed is expensive and some farmers struggle to maintain stable provision of a well-balanced meal, milk production tends to be lower than expected. Cotton cake for animal feed is therefore essential in ensuring production of maximum milk yields. Cotton cake contains a substantial amount of proteins, energy and calcium among other minerals. Its superior nutritional value allows for the production of good quality milk which is ideal for new born animals. According to a variety of agricultural research, animals that are fed cotton cake tend to produce more milk. Note that cotton feed should neither be given to young animals nor overdosed because it contain a toxic compound known as gossypol. While this compound can be tolerated by mature species, it can have adverse effects when provided in excess. Research indicates that provision of cake see milk to animals, particularly dairy cattle should constitute about 35% of the overall dietary plan. This information however varies with different types of breeds as well as animal species. Furthermore, fermented soybean meal extract is known to improve oxidative stress that is often caused by poor dietary plans. The result is an improved milk yield which directly translates to increased profitability.
Cotton Cake for Physical Development
Cotton cake for animal feed is often used as a growth enhancement mechanism. Cotton cake is a rich supply of protein which forms the basis of all animal feed, including commercially produced ingredients. In fact, animal feeds are distinguished by the amount of protein available. Due to the superior protein content found in cotton cake, it is sometimes adopted as an effective alternative for soybean meal. Animals that are fed cotton cake tend to mature faster and are said to be highly productive in comparison to species with low protein dietary plans. To add on, cotton cake contains a significant amount of digestible nutrients therefore allows for the production of good quality meat and improved carcass sizes which command a higher market price. Furthermore, cotton cake for animals is recommended because it consist of energy which is of the essence in growth, maintenance, reproduction and production. Another benefit of cotton cake for animal feed is that it contains minerals including calcium, phosphorus and magnesium. These play a major role in the absorption of nutrients as well as well as in blood clotting. Calcium helps cattle to grow strongly by encouraging good bone development. Note that providing protein, energy and fibre is essential, however, it does not meet all the needs of animals. Cotton cake is lacking in some vitamins including vitamin D. It has a low composition of vitamins A (9%) and C (4%). It also falls short in some trace minerals like sodium. For this reason, supplementary feed should be provided accordingly.
Cotton Cake for Health Maintenance
Animal health is at the core of livestock farming. Healthy animals are obviously more productive thus generate far much profit than sickly livestock. Cotton cake for animal feed is therefore an advisable agricultural practise. Nutrients and minerals found in cotton cake help to improve health and boost the immune system thus allowing animals some form of resistance to prevailing diseases. Also, cotton cake has a significant amount of amino acids are that are building blocks of proteins and polypeptides, a major component of muscles and tissues. In addition to being building blocks of body proteins, amino acids play a significant role in various important biochemical and metabolic processes in the cells of animals. As previously mentioned, cotton cake also helps to control oxidation. Oxidation is a common challenge experienced by livestock farmers. It basically affects the health of animals and the quality of meat, particularly its colour, texture, taste and even the nutritional value. Cotton cake for animal feed is thus ideal as it acts a natural antibiotic ensuring increased productivity.
